


Alcoholism isn't easy

by karcathy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 07:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karcathy/pseuds/karcathy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxy helps Rose give up drinking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alcoholism isn't easy

You never really thought of your drinking as a problem, exactly. After all, it made you happier and more fun to be with, and since when was that a problem? It wasn't until you met Roxy that you realised there was something wrong with it. That in itself is a problem, you suppose.

It surprised you a little to find out she'd gotten over her own drinking problem, with the occasional minor hitch. Part of you admits you were expecting her to be just like your mom – completely and unashamedly drunk. You suppose she must have had something your mom didn't.

"It's not easy," she tells you, and you think that's what everyone else was missing.

They all seemed to expect you just to stop and go back to your old self – they never exactly realised that was going to be difficult.

"You can say that again," you say, glumly sipping your (non-alcoholic) drink.

"It's even harder if you don't try at all," she says, and you avoid her gaze.

You know she's right, and you know you haven't exactly been trying all that hard.

"I'm here for you," she says, smiling and patting the back of your hand.

For some reason – you don't know quite what – that makes you feel a lot better about this whole thing. You think that maybe you do have a chance, after all. All you needed was a little understanding, really.

Roxy is right – it isn't easy. But it isn't as hard as you thought it would be, either. Every little encouragement she gives you seems to help a lot more than it should. It takes you a while to sober up for the first time, and you feel so awful when you do, that you consider just giving up there and then.

"This is the hardest part, you know," Roxy says, when she finds you curled in a ball, swallowing painkillers and trying to forget the world, "Well, I tell a lie. The hardest part is resisting the next drink. But this is the worst part."

You try to smile at her, but you're feeling too awful to tell whether it worked or not. She stays with you until you feel a little better, and keeps an eye on you for the next few days. You know if it weren't for her, you'd have fallen and you'd have fallen hard.

A couple of days after that, you give in to temptation and have one drink. You promise yourself it'll just be one drink, but it quickly turns into two. You're on your way to a third when Roxy turns up.

"I think you've had enough," she says, taking the glass away from you, "Maybe you should go to bed."

You pout, but let her lead you away from the alcohol.

"You were doing so well," she says, with a tiny sigh.

The feeling of having disappointed her is the worst thing about failing, and if you're honest, it's the only reason you don't go straight back. Instead, you sleep it off, and promise yourself (and her) that you'll do better tomorrow.

It takes you just over a month to give up completely, and you know you couldn't have done it so quickly without her. You're even fairly certain you couldn't have done it at all without her. You wonder how she did it, and think whatever it was, it must have been fantastic. You might have cried a little when she told you she was proud of you. Nothing else could be worth this.


End file.
